Tuning-peg for musical instruments



(No Model.)

} B. J. LANG. TUNING PEG FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. .No. 550,626. Patented Dec. 3', 1895.

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BY 0 .Ha/co/m 6 1/150", J W ATTORNEY.

ANDREW a GRM AMJHOTOMND WASHINGTONJ c UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

BENJAMIN J. LANG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TUNING-PEG FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,626, dated December 3, 1895.

Application filed July 5, 1895. Serial No- 555,031. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BENJAMIN J. LANG, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tuning -Pegs for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and accurate description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to the tuning-pegs used in violins and that class of stringed inst-ruments; and it consists in features of novelty which will be more particularly pointed out in the description, reference being had to the drawings, in which Figure I is a front viewof a violin-head with part broken awayto show working parts. Fig. II is a side view of a violin-head with the pegs in place. Fig. III is an enlarged section of the bushing.

1 is the peg-box of a violin of the ordinary form and construction, through which pass the pegs 2, also of the ordinary form and construction. These pegs 2, it will be observed, are made with a handle 3 at one end and a conical shank which passes through the sides of the peg-box 1, the large end of the shank being nearest the handle and provided with a transverse hole through which the string is passed. The hole in the peg-box 1, on the far side for each peg, is made somewhat larger than the diameter of the peg at this place, and instead of being conical, as the first hole is, it is cylindrical. Into this far hole there is fitted a bushing 4, made of ivory, bone, or other hard substance, through which the peg passes. This bushing 4: is made of a cylindrical form, having at one end a small external flange 5. The internal bore of the bushing is conical and of the same taper as the peg 2 and the first hole in the pegboX 1 tapering toward the end with the flange. Instead, however, of being smooth on the inside, said bushing has a fine thread cut in it, foundinpractice to be best adapted to the work when about sixty threads to the inch are used. This bushing 4: is inserted in the cylindrical hole from the outside of the peg-box 1 and is to fit in with considerable friction with what might be termed a snug fit in distinction to a drive fit. 'When in place, the bore of the bushing and the first hole in the peg-box should form a continuous and perfect taper, so that when the peg is inserted it will find a true bearing in the first hole and in the bore of the bushing, as shown in Fig. I.

The operation of this device is as follows: The pegs are inserted in the usual way, as shown in Fig. I. A string is passed through the hole in one of the pegs, tied, and the peg is then turned until the slack is taken out of the string, and it is raised to almost the desired pitch. Now in bringing the string to the proper pitch the peg is pressed in just as is done in the ordinary Violin. This pressure forces the'peg farther into the first hole of the peg-box and also into the bushing at, and causes the fine thread in the bushing to bite or take hold of the peg, indenting a fine thread on the surface of the peg. The string now being up to the required pitch it will stay there.

It is evident that if the bushing 4: was fixed in the peg-box 1 there would be a strong tendency to split the same if the peg was screwed in too far. For this reason the bushing 4 is not fixed in, but only tightly fitted in, so that with considerable friction it will turn in the pegbox 1. This friction, however, is not sufficient to draw the peg in until it is any tighter than the bushing fits in the peg-box, which is not far enough to split the peg-box.

The bushing for the E and A string pegs will have right-hand threads, and for the D and G string pegs there will be left-hand threads.

The advantage of this invention over the ordinary system lies in the security of the peg from lateral movement, and it is found that the peg will not slip if it does not move in this way. The ordinary violin-peg can be used and the bushing can be inserted on new or old violins with equal case.

This invention can be used 011 violins, Violas, cellos, and other stringed instruments of that class.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of a peg box, 1, a conical shanked peg, 2, and an internally threaded bushing, 4, inserted in the far hole of the peg box, 1, substantially as described.

box, 1, and the bushing, 4,-a11 as above described.

BENJAMIN J. LANG.

WVitnesses:

HALOOLM G. ELLIs, M. NEALoN. 

